"The first victory we can claim is that our hearts are free of hatred. Hence we say to those who persecute us and who try to dominate us: ‘You are my brother. I do not hate you, but you are not going to dominate me by fear. I do not wish to impose my truth, nor do I wish you to impose yours on me. We are going to seek the truth together’. THIS IS THE LIBERATION WHICH WE ARE PROCLAIMING."
Oswaldo José Payá Sardiñas (2002)

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Correction: "The Peoples Defender" downplays torture of students in Venezuela

"Torture means the intentional infliction of severe pain or suffering,
whether physical or mental, upon a person in the custody or under the
control of the accused; except that torture shall not include pain or
suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to, lawful
sanctions;" - Crimes Against Humanity Article 7 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Gabriela Ramírez, the "Defender of the People"of the Nicolas Maduro Regime in Venezuela on March 8, 2014 made the following statement on torture in the above press conference:

"For example if 15 or 20 youths are arrested in one of these sites and one person is beaten or mistreated, torture has a specific meaning, that is why we have to be very vigorous in our use of terms. ...If it is used to obtaina confession,inflictingphysical sufferingto obtain a confessionand we have todifferentiateit fromexcessive treatmentor disproportionateuse of force."